UConn women’s basketball adds another top recruit

BY ROGER CLEAVELAND REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Each year that passes with UConn displaying its dominance within women’s basketball – be it at the collegiate, the WNBA or international levels – it becomes more obvious why top recruits keep picking UConn over other places where they could blaze a new trail.

The incredible work ethic, unselfishness and mental toughness that Coach Geno Auriemma demands within the Huskies’ program serve as a magnet for players with a healthy dose of confidence and a desire to get the most out of their abilities.

Aubrey Griffin, a 6-foot-1 wing from Ossining High School in New York became the latest player to feel the Huskies’ strong pull when she announced Thursday that she had verbally committed to UConn.

“I wanted to go somewhere that was close to home so my mom could come to the games,” Griffin said. “Also, I know that Geno will help me be the best player that I can be. I just felt like UConn would help me get better as a player. It is only going to make me mentally tougher. It will be hard at first, but I want to go through it, because it will make me better. I will figure it out.”

Griffin isn’t someone easily swayed by hype or by other’s opinions and you need look no further than her background to understand that.

She’s the daughter of Adrian Griffin, who played nine seasons in the NBA and has now been a coach in the league for the past 11 years, including this season as the top assistant for the Toronto Raptors. Griffin’s mother was also an All-American in track at Seton Hall.

She felt no pressure from either of her parents to play a particular sport, so she went with soccer initially. It wasn’t until she began playing basketball against her brothers that she decided to take up basketball in eighth grade.

“Once I decided to play basketball, my dad told me that he would definitely help me get better at it,” Griffin said. “That is something I have really enjoyed.”

Ossining head coach Dan Ricci said he has really enjoyed seeing Griffin blossom as a player. Last year as a junior, she averaged 28.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game to earn All-State and New York Section 1 Player of the Year honors.

“She tore her ACL and missed all of 10th grade so she has only been really playing organized basketball for four years,” Ricci said. “She has grown a lot as a player in the last year, especially in the last couple of months. Her maturity level and her confidence are at an all-time high.

“I think the USA Basketball Trials helped her a lot, and she also had a great AAU season where she dominated. Every day we step into the gym, she does something else that amazes us.”

Ranked only No. 56 in the country in ESPN HoopGurlz rankings for the Class of 2019 last spring, Griffin had to pay her own way to USA Basketball’s U-17 trials this past May. From a group of 158 players, she was one 18 finalists. While she didn’t make the 12-man team, she opened a lot of eyes and kept impressing throughout the summer in AAU.

Now ranked No. 33 by HoopGurlz, Griffin is definitely a player on the rise in Ricci’s eyes because of her outstanding athleticism, work ethic and untapped potential.

“Aubrey’s athleticism makes her really quick off the dribble,” Ricci said. “She can dunk a volleyball. She can shoot the three. She defends well. She can do all that well, and she really hasn’t scratched the surface as to how good she can be as a basketball player.”

Ricci said Griffin can play all five positions for him at Ossining, but at UConn she sees her as a shooting guard, a wing or eventually a power forward with the ability to stretch defenses because of her shooting range.

While she averaged 8.7 rebounds per game last season due to her leaping ability and knack for attacking the offensive glass, he said she is currently too thin or frail to play in the post in college.

“She is a terrific shooter, but she hardly shoots from 3-point range even though she can knock shots down from much deeper than a regular three,” Ricci said. “Because she is so athletic and quick, she takes the ball to the basket and gets to the rim against anybody_ She has unlimited range, but she would much rather blow by you. We are just trying to get her to understand that if you shoot it and make a few from the outside, it makes it even easier to go by people and be more dangerous offensively.”

Griffin’s final four school choices also included Mississippi State, South Carolina and Louisville. After taking official visits to Louisville and UConn, she knew where she was going.

“It felt like home when I went to visit UConn,” Griffin said. “It felt like I was supposed to be there.”